


Beau et Belle

by afrocurl



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Edwardian, Alternate Universe - Historical, Erik is not a Happy Bunny, Honestly Charles What Are You Thinking, Minor Character Death, Multi, Murder Mystery, One-Sided Relationship, Steampunk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-19 07:19:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7351321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a murder is reported at Greymalkin, Logan's life turned around in ways he did not expect, especially when confronted with both his old beau and a new fascination.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beau et Belle

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [XavierineFest2016](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/XavierineFest2016) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> When a murder occurs in in Graymalkin House, Detective Inspector Logan Howlett is sent to the scene to find out what happened and catch the murderer. At first he thinks that this is just another job - but when he arrives he finds out that Graymalkin House is the ancestral home to the wealthy and infamous Xavier family, who, it just so happens, were in the midst of a get-together at their home, meaning that there are now over a dozen suspects on Logan's list. Furthermore, everyone seems to be guilty about something, but no one will reveal the source of their anxieties.
> 
> What secrets are they all keeping from each other? Who is the murderer and why was he murdered? And, more importantly, can Logan keep whatever strange attraction he feels towards Charles Xavier, heir to Graymalkin and fiance to the highly suspicious Erik Lehnsherr, from affecting the investigation?

The phone call into the station rang at half past eleven in the morning, the sky still grey from the rain last night. Logan felt it fitting that _something_ was off in the village on a day like today. He did not answer the call, but heard the blasting ring all the same from the office where his ire ruled supreme.

The sky fit his mood - sour and dark - as it had been for months, since his paramour Scott left him for a young heiress from London.

Logan did appreciate that the call meant he had a job to do, however, because the rest of the station had been suffering from his poor mood. Especially the young Anna Marie, who was the newest of the staff to the station and had no previous experience with his temper.

“What’s going on?” Logan asked Alex, who had not followed his brother and left Logan’s life.

“Murder up at Greymalkin. Sounds pretty nasty. Lots of blood.”

“Greymalkin? You mean the Xavier property? I thought no one was there right now.”

Sean piped up. “He just came back for this weekend. Some party to introduce his friends to his new fiance, that Lehnsherr fellow who’s making his name known for his steam engine technology.”

Logan had to frown at that, but he hoped that everyone else in the office thought it was about the body and the scene. “Let’s go then. Sean, Alex, go grab Peter. I think we’re going to need to keep an eye on everyone who’s there.”

-

Charles felt as if this impression would sour Erik to him. Well, it would probably sour everyone who was there against him now. An engagement party that turned into a murder scene.

It all felt very tawdry. 

Erik had left breakfast to see what had happened to Mr. Shaw, and had come back saying that the man was dead.

Young Miss Grey had fainted at the mention of what happened. Her own fiance, a Mr. Summers, had taken her back to her room, which only made Charles more nervous. Miss Grey was Mr. Shaw’s ward, but it still felt wrong for the young lady to have been taken by her beau and not by Raven, or even Moira.

But there were still plenty of other guests to attend to. There was Dr. McCoy, who was rather sweet on Raven but cautious; Miss Frost, who seemed to be indifferent to everyone, but who was a long-standing family friend; a Miss Braddock, who was Frost’s companion; and lastly, his own nemesis, Cain Marko, Charles’ unfortunate step-brother.

To all the guests still at the table, Charles said, “I’m afraid we’ll cancel today’s shooting and outdoor luncheon. There’s no way of knowing when the police will arrive, but I won’t have any hint that we’re trying to evade questioning.”

Cain grumbled at that. Charles knew he was only there to meet Erik and to kill as many birds as possible, but everyone else simply nodded and tucked back into their plates. His reputation was well on the way to ruin for this murder alone, not that Charles needed much of a reason for society to think ill of him. They already assumed the worst of him for being engaged to a German man, even a wealthy man of new industry.

Erik sat next to Charles’ seat at the head of the table, and showed no hint of being put out. Charles rather liked that his fiance was so hard to read, but it made something like this difficult. “You aren’t nervous about the police?”

“Why should I be? I may be new to this country, but I have no reason to do anything to anyone in your party, including your step-brother Cain.”

“I hope you’re right. I, too, hope you don’t think I did this.”

“You seemed your affable self with Mr. Shaw. I caught nothing to cause me concern.”

That made Charles smile slightly before he went back to his plate.

-

Erik thought that Charles’ home was rather nice, though he truly disliked most of the guests he had met. They all screamed artifice, even Dr. McCoy, playing at games which Erik did not understand. Perhaps it was the English way, but it put him ill at ease, even if he put on a good face to Charles’ worry.

He was here to make sure that Charles’ friends were not put off by a man of Charles’ stature - he was a Viscount after all - marrying a man who was not landed and not at all British.

This messy business sat ill with Erik, but he did as he thought best, and stayed at Charles’ side when the butler walked in to announce that the police had arrived. 

“Show them in,” Charles said, before he started to look at the rest of the guests still seated here. Erik felt nervous for all of them, for he knew that the police could be brutal when faced with violence among the wealthy.

-

The house - if you wanted to call a building with at least ten bedrooms just a house - was filled with guests that all looked as if they had killed the victim.

Everyone’s eyes shifted back and forth once Logan walked into the room, even the young woman who was crying into the shoulder of, of all people, Scott.

Dammit. This investigation just got five times worse.

“Inspector Howlett, how would you like to begin?” Lord Xavier asked.

“Who first discovered the body?”

“I did,” said a stoic man just near enough to Xavier to most likely be Erik Lehnsherr.

“Will you tell me what you saw?”

“In front of everyone else?” Lehnsherr asked.

“Well, I suppose not. But Lord Xavier, will you make sure no one leaves the room right now?”

“Of course. We’re all here to get to the bottom of this tragedy.” Xavier had a small smile, too fond for someone he didn’t know, and Logan took note of that information as he made his way out of the room and towards another for a private conversation with Lehnsherr.

-

“What did you just do?” Raven hissed once Inspector Howlett and Erik had walked out of the room.

“I have no idea what you mean,” he replied, because he was only being polite to the officer.

“You winked at him as he left with your fiance. Do you think Erik missed it? I don’t think anyone else did.”

Charles gasped, but could not say anything else. He had not done anything different than he would do when anyone else left the room that he was getting to know. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“And you think that Erik knows that?”

“I won’t have a chance to ask now.”

“No, but you should be very worried that Erik and the Inspector don’t come to blows.”

Charles nervously stood up and walked towards the tea that the butler had brought out. He needed something to take his mind off the potential faux pas.

It seemed it was now the second one he had made in the course of the weekend.

-

“So how did you find the body?” Howlett asked once they had settled into Charles’ very well used study.

“He was simply in the bed in his room, even well after everyone was supposed to be down for breakfast.”

“Was there any blood?”

“I didn’t pay too much attention. I simply saw that the man was slumped awkwardly in the bed - an unnatural position - and told Charles.”

“Did you touch the body?”

“Not that I recall.”

“How can you not recall something as simple as if you touched the body?”

Erik’s temper was about to get the best of him. He was doing the best he could and answering questions. “I was more worried telling my fiance about the dead body than I was about if I touched the body.”

“Well, do you have anything against the dead man - a Mr. Shaw?”

“I had only become acquainted with him the day before. He made himself seem to be above everyone else, including my fiance. That didn’t please me too much. Shaw thought ill of me for being from the continent.”

Howlett gave him a look that said he did not believe a word uttered, but Erik did not care. He was here to meet Charles’ friends, not make those friends like him.

Or, it seemed, for the Inspector to form a positive opinion of him.

-

That Lehnsherr man was a slippery sort, Logan thought. He had all the appearances of good manners, but he came off as too gruff and haunty. Why someone like Xavier had chosen to attach himself to that man, Logan did not know. 

He should not want to know, but as he walked back into the library, he did. The look from Xavier also came back into his mind as he saw the man sitting near a blonde who looked too familiar with him. 

Was not there a sister? Why was he forgetting all of the details that mattered most?

Had he really let himself be so distracted by a smile from Xavier?

-

Inspector Howlett had an odd expression on his face when he walked back in with Erik. It did not look serious or annoyed, but it was not as stony as it should have been for a man on the job.

Was his wink the cause? Did Erik think him unfaithful? Charles thought to ask, but just as Erik was back into the library, Howlett barked to speak with Mr. Summers and the young Miss Grey.

“I insist that I accompany Miss Grey in this interview. She has no legal guardian and is not yet of her majority according to Mr. Shaw,” Charles said, though he did look at Erik to try and read some expression from him. There was nothing, which was not too unusual, as Erik walked to the tea and poured himself some.

Something was off, Charles just knew it. Erik only drank tea to blend in.

-

Schooling his features, Erik sat down and sipped some of the blasted tea that the British seemed to favor. Charles had walked out with Ms. Grey and her beau, no doubt to be a noble host to a young girl who had just lost her guardian.

Only Erik recalled as he looked over the rest of the guests that she seemed upset once he had returned to the dining room, but now - only a few hours later - she appeared too calm and collected.

-

Miss Grey looked altogether too calm for Logan to believe her entirely innocent. The same applied to Scott, though for the time being Logan kept their past where it belonged.

“Now, Miss Grey, can you tell me what you thought of your guardian?”

He was sure that this conversation would make him very angry.

She sniffled a bit but quietly said, “I--” before falling into Scott’s arms and crying.

Rather than focus on the young woman, Logan looked at the shocked expression on Xavier’s face and wished it was something else all together.

-

Charles sensed that Miss Grey would be of no help after she had cried for twenty more minutes.

“Inspector, why don’t we allow her to recover a bit more before you talk to her. I’m sure the other guests will be happy to explain their days.”

Howlett had an odd smirk on his face, but grumbled something and started to leave the room. Nearly inaudible, Charles heard, “What a mess he is now.”

For a moment Charles thought it about himself, though there was nothing that he had done to look foolish. But that would only leave Mr. Summers. How could the two of them have known each other?

-

Too soon for the sort of queries Erik expected, Charles walked back into the library. He had a dower look on his face, but brightened as soon as he looked at Erik.

That gave Erik some comfort.

All too quickly, though, Howlett walked back towards Charles and said, “I’ll need to stay and monitor everyone until I can finish with the interviews and so that my men can look into the scene of the murder.”

“Of course. Have some tea and enjoy the day. We’ve cancelled all the plans for today for your benefit.”

“How kind,” Howlett drawled before he walked to the tea service and poured a cup.

“Charles,” Erik hissed, “must you?”

Charles only nodded, then walked to Dr. McCoy for some inane conversation.

-

That Lehnsherr man was looking far too uncomfortable for a man with nothing to hide, but Logan did his best to just observe the room and watch for other sides of someone with malice hidden behind etiquette.

Xavier was affable as he had been before and as often as was possible, shot Logan a small smile or a nod.

Lehnsherr only seemed to grow more annoyed at each turn of Xavier’s attention to Logan rather than himself. Lehnsherr started to pace the room, causing more than few stares from the rest of the guests.

“Something on your mind, Mr. Lehnsherr?” Logan asked, in hopes of drawing something from that man who seemed content to be ill-mannered and rude to the room.

“Not as such.”

Xavier started to walk towards Lehnsherr after that and said something to his fiance no one heard. It did calm Lehnsherr a bit, but just to see what else could happen, Logan stood up and crossed towards them, filling the space with his height and width.

“You sure?”

“Quite sure. I’d appreciate time to myself, if you’d allow it.”

“I won’t allow it because I think you’ve got something to hide. You don’t care for anyone here, save your fiance, and it shows.”

“I only just met everyone except Charles on Thursday. I rather think that too little time to wish someone dead.”

“You’d be surprised at what can happen when everyone thinks you’re less than them,” he added.

“Let them think ill of me. So long as Charles doesn’t care, why should it matter?”

At this Logan laughed. “You’re too smart to be this dim. If no one here accepts you, you’re ruined. Xavier’s ruined.”

“And he’s not already ruined by this murder? You overestimate me, Inspector Howlett. Or maybe you don’t since you seem content to allow Charles’ simple affections.”

“I have done nothing of the sort!”

“Yes, you have,” a female voice said, “Charles winked at you before you left with Mr. Lehnsherr to question him. What are you trying to do Charles?”

“I’m not doing anything but being a good host,” Xavier insisted.

“A good host wouldn’t have allowed a murder to take place,” Logan interrupted.

“And what good are you, Inspector, that you’re sitting here instead of investigating who’s responsible for that?”

“I’m doing plenty of investigating right now. You know who’s missing and who shouldn’t be? Mr. Summers.”

“He’s seeing to Miss Grey,” Xavier said.

“And that’s not at all something you should be seeing to? Do you know anything about the man who’s with such a young and vulnerable woman?”

Xavier had nothing to say in response, so Logan left the room in search of where Scott could be with his young Miss Grey.

-

Charles felt himself a fool for not realizing that Mr. Summers had not returned to the library. He was worrying his lower lip when Erik finally put a hand on the small of Charles’ back.

“I know you meant nothing with the smiles to Howlett. However, I think he’s said too much for everyone to not think you capable of wandering away from me.”

“Let them. I have little use for most of these people, and if they know me at all, they know I’ve been overly kind for years.”

“You’re too trusting,” Erik said.

“And that’s why you’re marrying me.” Charles had to believe his words or he would lose himself into the obsession of Mr. Shaw’s death.

“It is, but let us see if we can find something before the Inspector does. I would not wish him to be at dinner tonight.”

All Charles could manage was a small nod before he reached for Erik’s other hand and started to walk away from the table and chairs.

-

Erik knew better than to try and follow where Howlett would have looked - or, more accurately, where his underlings would have - but he had doubts about standing by the window of Shaw’s room until he and Charles each saw something glinting in the afternoon sun.

“You know that we need to tell the Inspector?” Charles said.

“Yes, but we haven’t a clue who would leave it there.”

“I think I might.”

“Oh, do tell, Lord Xavier.”

-

In the end, Logan had to admit that he had not imagined Scott capable of such a crime. But then again, Scott had left him with little notice or regard before meeting Miss Jean Grey.

As soon as the small knife was recovered from the scrubs below Shaw’s room and Scott was forced into the study, it became clear how little Logan had known about his old beau.

Xavier smiled affably as Logan finally left the home with Scott in chains. It twisted something else in Logan’s stomach to see a man so easy with affection, who was clearly with a man who cared little for it.

Lehnsherr was a horrible fiance, Logan decided, but he kept the thought to himself as he had more important work ahead of him.

Not that Logan would forget how easy his time had been around Xavier. That would have been impossible to forget.

Old beau killing to marry a new belle notwithstanding.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the crack team of betas.


End file.
